Roles of exosomes and microvesicles in disease pathogenesis.

A variety of cells release membrane vesicles, such as exosomes and microvesicles (MVs), that are thought to play key roles in cell-cell communication, antigen presentation, and the spread of infectious agents throughout the body. There have been considerable efforts to use MVs as diagnostic or prognostic markers because their composition is reflective of minor physiological changes. Furthermore, recent studies demonstrate that MVs derived from infected cells and tumors contribute to disease pathogenesis. This review presents an overview of the potential roles of MVs with respect to clinical diagnosis and disease pathogenesis.